


That's What Friends Are For

by KyoukaiKanata



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Boys In Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Epic Friendship, Friendship/Love, M/M, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:54:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24132424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyoukaiKanata/pseuds/KyoukaiKanata
Summary: Sometimes after a bad day all you need is a hug. When that's not possible, the next best thing is a protective Dutchman and a loving Spaniard.
Relationships: Lando Norris/Carlos Sainz Jr
Comments: 10
Kudos: 71





	That's What Friends Are For

**Author's Note:**

> After everything that happened with Lando yesterday, this honestly kind of wrote itself. I hope you like it 🙂💙

He couldn't believe it, what he had done to deserve this he wasn't sure. If it wasn't bad enough that week after week, time and again, despite his best efforts, despite his training, his game had failed. Today his game had failed again but he had also hit the wall. The point of no return. 

It didn't seem fair that because he had chosen to quit this time he was now getting constant throwback from it. Could anyone blame him after all. He had had enough of it. Online racing and streaming was fun at first, but now, now in the F1 side of things it felt more like a chore. More like a burden than a challenge. He wasn't sure what he wanted anymore, but it wasn't this. 

Lando sighed and shook his head, eyes closing as he tried not to let tears fall lest the chat see and begin their attack anew. Even here, even playing rocket league he couldn't escape it. He could see and hear as clear as day the comments that kept appearing on the others screens. It hurt, it was painful. It almost made him want to throw his console, his computers out the window and just hide under the covers. Hide from the very world that seemed to give him stick no matter what he did. What had he done to deserve this?

The stream finally ended and he felt the tears that had been building for hours begin to slide down his face. A shaky sob escaped him and he buried his face in his hands, his body shaking.

He didn't mind being alone sometimes, and with the daily streams in some ways you never felt alone, he liked doing them rather than sitting in an empty house by himself with no one to talk to, but it wasn't the same as seeing people in person and right now he just wanted a hug and he couldn't have one. 

He needed to talk to someone. Someone who wouldn't judge him. Someone who understood this feeling better than many. He needed Max. 

Lando sat up, brushing his hands across his face as he stood up and moved into the lounge, flopping down on the sofa and tugging the fluffy brown blanket over him, burrowing his body under it until only the top of his head was visible.

It had been a joke gift from Carlos to remind him of the comforts of home, but it had become more than he ever imagined, especially in these dark months of quarantine. It had become the closest thing he could get to a hug from his friends and family, and a cuddle from his partner. Being alone was hard enough, but it was even worse on the days like this where he felt no matter what he did it simply wasn't enough.

Pulling his phone out, he sent a message, SOS, his call for help, the response was instant.

The phone ringing startled him at first, before taking a deep breath he answered. He didn't need to say a word, Max got there first.

"Mate you ok?"

"I don't know," unconsciously a pained noise escaped his throat and he shut his eyes again, trying to will away the tears. He was a Formula One driver for fucks sake, he shouldn't be almost crying over this shit.

"You're human you know Lando, not a robot mate." 

"Max?"

"You were talking out loud mate. Seriously don't listen to them. Those fucking pricks don't know what they are talking about anyway. They never do."

There was silence for a moment, Max prompting when there was no response "Lando?"

A sniffle came from Lando's throat before he could stop it and he couldn't stop the tears that began to fall again and he asked the question that had been plaguing his mind for weeks now, as the never ending onslaught of hate grew more and more.

"Is it me Max? Am I the problem?"

The gentle tone that cut across startled him, "Of course it's not you mi vida, how could it be?"

"Carlos? How?" Lando sobbed.

"Look at the screen mi corazon."

Lando blinked open his tear stained eyes and took in the sight. Carlos had been added into the video call by Max and both of them were watching him, love and concern visible in their gazes.

"You sound and look like you need a hug," Max shrugged nonchalantly, "and I know I can't give you that currently. I know none of us can give you that but I thought the next best thing might help mate. You look like you need it."

Lando couldn't help the slight smile that escaped as Max fixed him with that ever stern look. But his eyes were soft and Lando knew, despite outward appearances, Max was kind at heart and had become almost a big brother sort of figure to him during the months they had been talking. 

"Thanks," he whispered.

"Don't worry about it mate. Seriously you'd do the same for me and besides I may have the reputation of being an arrogant angry prick but I can be nice occasionally you know."

Lando couldn't help but laugh at the playful wink that came from Max, turquoise eyes twinkling.   
Even through his tears, Max had a way to make him smile. He always did. It's what made him a great friend to have. 

"Lando," Carlos called softly and Lando focused his gaze on his spainard. The look directly at him across the screen filled with nothing but love and affection. 

"I'm proud of you mi corazon, you don't have to do this for the fans but you do, week after week, no matter what happens and that takes courage."

"But I quit today, I guess maybe I shouldn't have done that," wiping across his eyes Lando sighed and shook his head frustrated, "But I got so fed up, what with the issues in qualifying and then I got frustrated in the race and kept spinning and all I could think was what's the point. What am I doing this for anymore. And I don't know and that's what scares me. I don't want to lose it."

As Lando fell silent, Carlos and Max shared a look. Clear concern shining in their eyes as they had a thought as to just what he meant.

"What don't you want to lose Lando?" Max murmured.  
Lando sniffled and snuggled further into his blanket, answering in a voice so quiet they barely heard him. 

"I don't want to lose my love of it."

"Love of what baby," Carlos mumured, already dreading what he expected the answer to be.

"Racing," Lando whispered, "I don't want to, but this makes me want to."

"You won't quit mate, I can tell you that now."

Lando looked up at the firm tone and met Max's gaze, "How do you know?"

"Because we won't let you. If you think for one minute some fuckers are going to make me lose one of the best new drivers on the grid, one of the best online racers and the bastard that keeps me on my toes when playing COD and actually listens to my ranting, you've got another thing coming. I'll fucking come and drag you out of that house and back to the next circuit with me and shove you in the car myself if I have to!"

Carlos chuckled and added, "He's right Lando, you are born to race, you belong on a race track, and you've got a career ahead of you. I want to be fighting with you in that McLaren, not having you watch from a TV on the other side of the world. You deserve your place mi vida, you deserve it, and yes that means you'll get frustrated at times and sometimes quit when it gets too much. That doesn't make you a bad person baby, or even a bad driver or someone with no love for the sport. That just makes you human."

Max cut in, "At the end of the day mate we are all human, no matter what the media and fans like to think of us as otherwise. And being human means we have emotions. Emotions that sometimes other people won't agree with, but that doesn't make them invalid. That never makes invalid. We have as much right to feel emotions as everyone else mate, good or bad."

A final sniffle left Lando's throat and he picked up a tissue from the box next to the sofa and wiped his eyes. A small smile came over his face, "You'll drag me huh?"

Max snorted and Carlos grinned at the sight of Lando's smile.

"You better fucking bet I will mate. That's what friends do. That's what friends are for" Max nodded, that smug proud look settling over his face and he chuckled as a grin appeared on Lando's face at last.

"I'd like to see you try Max"

"Don't push me Norris or I really will be on the next plane out there when this lockdown shit ends!"

Carlos smiled as he watched Max and Lando. Watching Lando finally smile and laugh again was a bit watching the sun shine. The sun was always there, it's light dimmed occasionally but it had it's place in the world, and it always would. And so would Lando, they would make sure of it. A retirement and some comments wouldn't change that. F1 and a world of racing without Lando was simply incomprehensible. 

"Carlos?"

Carlos started at the call, pulled out of his thoughts and met those gorgeous dark blue orbs of his partners. 

"Sorry mi corazon, what were you saying?" realising the other video stream had gone quiet he looked only to see it was just him and Lando left on the call, "Where did Max go?"

Lando smiled and shook his head slightly, "He left." Uncertainty filled his eyes again, "We can end the call if you're busy?"

"I'm never too busy for you mi vida, talk to me Lando. What are you thinking baby?"

"I just," Lando shook his head, longing and frustration clearly visible, "I'm sorry Carlos. I'm just sorry." His head dropped down again and the next words he murmured pierced Carlos' soul, "I miss you so much."

"Oh Lando, mi corazon, mi vida, you have nothing to be sorry for. I miss you too but do you know just how proud of you I am?"

Lando shook his head and buried his face back in his fluffy blanket.

"I'm so fucking proud of you. What you're doing, what you've done, you didn't have to. No one asked you to do this, and yet you did it anyway and even when it's gone wrong week after week, it takes courage mi vida to carry on, and carry on you have. Max is right sweetheart, ignore those who turn against you. Those of us that truly care see you're worth and we will always will."

"You're proud of me?" Lando murmured, his face tinged red in embarrassment as he emerged from behind the blanket and blushed at the pure look of love and pride from Carlos that met him through the screen. 

"How could I not be. You're amazing Lando and the minute this lockdown's over I'm coming to you."

"I'd like that," Lando smiled, before a small yawn escaped and Carlos' ever eagle like eyes noticed.

"Go to sleep baby. Get some rest. You deserve it. I'll call you in the morning ok?"

"OK, I love you Carlos."

"Te amo Lando, sleep well mi corazon."

With a final wave the call ended and Lando shifted stretching his legs as he stood up and moved. Getting some water from the kitchen he headed up the stairs and sank into his bed. Plugging his phone into charge, he smiled at the most recent messages. 

It had been a shit day but as he snuggled under the covers and his eyes eventually closed he knew with friends like Max and a partner like Carlos, no matter what happened he could get through it. With those who loved him, he could get through anything.

**Author's Note:**

> As always kudos and comments are greatly appreciated 🧡🧡 
> 
> Feel free to come and talk to me on tumblr at kyoukai-kanata (http://kyoukai-kanata.tumblr.com)
> 
> Spanish Translations As Follows:
> 
> Mi Vida = My Life  
> Mi Corazon = My Heart  
> Mi Futuro Campeon = My Future Champion


End file.
